The not so quiet wolf
by Ere-kun
Summary: My name is Eddard Stark, Warden of the North, Lord of Winterfell, and I have no idea how I came here... Or when your regular young citizen from Europe wakes up in the flesh of the unluckiest fictionnal character of one of the deadliest stories ever.
1. Chapter 1

**So welcome to my first story ever with this account and on this site. It's been years since I last wrote something, and I hope you guys will like it.**

 **Before getting to the story, I'd like to thank Oumaima, my dear friend, who's helping with this.**

 **Let the show begin.**

 **Eddard**

Well, this was definitely the last thing I imagined would happen. I was not very satisfied with being a 23 years old man who freshly graduated from college, yet still has no idea what to with his life and is struggling to find a job. However, waking up as a fictional character inside a medieval castle, in a universe where you could easily die (from drinking wine or going to a wedding), was truly the last thing I expected.

At first, I thought it was a dream. I spent days in my apartment telling my… wife, yes,she's definitely my wife, and my children (oh God, I have children, four of them, and my « wife » is carrying the fifth) that I am sick, trying to figure out what to do.

For three days, I refused the entry to anyone in my apartment. For three days, I tried to think the situation through, until I finally realized that there's no way back. I had to come to terms with the truth, and in order to do that, I had to drink a lot, lot, lot of ale (I hated wine in my « original » world, why should I start to like it here ?).

Anyways, ladies and gentleman, behold, a slightly modified Lord Stark!

I got out of my room, reached out to the Maester to get ahold of the current situation of the kingdom. My knowledge came in handy; my academic background in politics would serve me right. Moreover,I was aware of how things would end up should I make the same choice the "real" Eddard Stark had made. I knew there are things I must avoid at all cost. It was 294 after the conquest, and I still had time before the saga started. Good, I thought to myself.

For starters, I had to strengthen my family's name. Not only in the North,but in the continent as well. I had to make sure the Wall is well garrisoned, I had to try to avoid a war in the South, but I most importantly had to keep my head on my shoulders.

Needless to say that there was nothing Lord Stark couldn't do. I mean, what the worse could happen? It's not as if a sadistic little bastard born out of incest will cut my head and put in a pike… right? RIGHT?

Ok Ned, you must calm down (betterget used to call myself this way). There were many things ahead of me to do, and I better start now.

The Maester arrived finally to my solar, good time Luwin, very good time.

"My Lord, it's a pleasure to see you back on your feet, however, I must admit I'm a little disappointed for not being the one to cure you of this mysterious illness."

I fact that Ned trusted Luwin had almost escaped my mind, but I couldn't risk telling Luwin I wasn't Ned « I'm not actually your Lord I'm just a spirit from another universe that is taking control of…. »… ok I stop here.

"My apologies, dear friend, it wasn't truly a sickness, I was a bit troubled, and I had a lot of thinking to do. I came to various conclusions."

"My Lord, you called for me?"

Catelyn entered the room. I better have this talk with the both of them.

"Yes Cat, please Maester, Catelyn, take a seat, there's a lot to discuss."

"As I was saying, I wasn't really sick, but I needed time alone to think through our current situation, and I wanted you to be the first one with whom I'm sharing these thoughts."

Catelyn's face couldn't hide that she wasn't pleased with my « sickness », nonetheless, she shrugged it off, and went right to the matter at hand.

"My Lord, our situation is just fine, you have the loyalty of the northern houses, you are part of the alliance that put the actual King on the throne and you are a close friend of his."

I nodded. Catelyn was right, but she had no idea of what fate had planned for her.

"My lady, our situation is not as good as it seems, while we have our bannermen's loyalty, we still need to bind them closer to us, the Boltons are close to lady Dustin and the Ryswell, with whom we have had a bad relationship since _…_ "I paused. _Should I remind them of what my « brother » did?_

However, the slow nod of understanding coming from my wife and the Maester was enough understanding for me.

"So what do you propose my love?"

"Marriages, and lot of them, I think it would be good to marry Sansa to the heir of the Dreadfort, Lord Domeric, it is said that his aunt, the Lady Dustin loves him a great deal, and it would be enough to placate both the Boltons and Barrowtown. "

"But Sansa is just a child!"

"She won't be so for long, and I will offer Lord Bolton to foster his son here, in Winterfell, so our daughter might learn to know him, from what I hear, he's a good lad, lacking his house's famous cruelty, and has a strong sense of honor."

"I think it's a great idea my Lord, the Maester finally spoke, but what about house Ryswell ? While placating the Boltons and Dustins would be good, house Ryswell is still a powerful house."

I smiled, and it seemed as if I had an answer to that, while actually, I had none. Inside I was panicking, it was true that the Ryswell needed placating too, but it was out of the question that I marry Arya, I had other plans for the girl… but what if ?

"Well, I might have a suggestion for that…"

"Ned, you can't seriously think of betrothing Arya, she's way to young.."

"Not right away. I do have a good plan for one of Lord Ryswell's sons and Arya."

"And what would that be?"

The way she was holding her temper was admirable. However,I could see her anger rising. I was not ready to handle what she was about to unleash…

Catelyn was never one of my favorite characters, and I was wondering how I would learn to love her…

"Ned?" Her cold voice brought me out of my thoughts.

"Yes. Yes, I was thinking that we could send Arya and Rodrick, Lord Ryswell's second son, to foster at Bear Island."

"Ned you can't mean for our girl to become a…"

"Yes, I do my lady. My voice was cold like steel, in the North, women fight alongside men in the battlefield, and while it's too late for our Sansa to train in arms, I plan to give the rest of my children a full northern education. "

Catelyn sat back, glaring daggers at me, unlike Luwin who seemed happy as a smile crossed his face.

"That seems like an excellent plan my Lord. What about the other houses? We can betroth Robb to Lord's Karstark daughter and…"

"I have other plans for Robb my Lord, I also plan on creating a branch of our house in White Harbor, and I think of betrothing Brandon to one of Lord Manderly's granddaughters."

"You are marrying all of our children, but your eldest who's your heir…"

"I'm looking for alliances outside the North, my Lady, for Robb."

I've had enough, I think it's time for some serious explanations with my wife, or else, I might find myself inneed of another Lady of Winterfell soon.

"This meeting is over, I , send ravens to all the lords of the North, inviting them to the harvest feast. I will come to you later with additional letters to be sent. "

"Right away my Lord." Luwin bowed before excusing himself from the room.

Catelyn was about to follow when I stopped her, it was time for a very important talk that I sincerely wished I wouldn't regret later on…


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys, first of all thank you for your support. The Ned self insert idea came to me while reading a lot of self insert fanfictions that I loved, and I thought, how come none made a Ned Stark self insert yet? So I was like, why not doing it myself... And here it is.**

 **I'm sorry for the long wait, I'm having some serious things going on in my personal life, however, it might get sorted out soon, and the updates will be more regular then.**

 **This chapter is definitely not the best thing I wrote, however, I find writting from Catelyn's POV pretty hard... Her character is "common", and I think that it's very hard to write from "common people's" perspective... Nothing much happens in their lives, and their reaction to what goes on around them is "common" too... anyway. I hope you'll like it hehe.**

 **I wish to thank my friend, Oumaima, for her correction and her help.**

 **Yours,**

 **Ere-kun.**

 **Catelyn**

To say that she was shocked was … not enough. She was surprised, disappointed, and… happy? She didn't know how to feel exactly, or how to react. Her Ned was not the same anymore, that was an understanding, and everyone in their family noticed it. He was spending more time in the training grounds and the library, moreover, he got interest in books about the War for the Down and the Age of Heroes, but also about other houses of Westeros, ordering for a book that described the physical aspects of every Lord of every great house in the continent since The Seven knew when.

But it wasn't those noticeable changes that threw her in this state of mind, it was the talk they had a few days ago, when he announced his plan to betroth their children.

After Luwin went, he asked her to sit, and offered her a glass of ale.

"You will need it", he said, before drinking himself a cup.

She reluctantly took the glass, and drank a small sip. Ale was never a drink that she could berate.

"It's about Jon", Ned said.

Unconsciously, Catelyn took another sip. If asked if she truly hated the bastard, she'll say yes without thinking. She did, but deep inside her heart, she had mixed feelings for the boy, she did not actually believe that he was a threat to her children claim on Winterfell, no matter how strong she wanted to believe it. All she saw from Jon was love and kindness toward his half-siblings. However, she couldn't even think of treating him decently, she knew she was being unjust to him, but the constant reminder of her Ned's dishonor, was enough to make her feel bitter towards the boy.

Ned was observing her, looking for a reaction, she gave him none.

"What is it, my lord? "She asked.

He kept staring at her, unflinching.

"It's time I share with you a great secret I kept for the last 11 years…"

"If it is about his mother, then my lord, I prefer being kept in the dark" she said, her temper rising.

"It's not completely about this, my lady, and what I am about to tell you should stay secret, no matter what" he said in his "lord's voice", cold like steel. "I am not Jon's father", he concluded, before serving himself another cup of ale.

Catelyn looked at him intensely, ready to retort… before noticing a huge amount of sadness, behind his cold grey eyes.

Her eyes widened, could the boy be Brandon's? Nevertheless, why Eddard would hide his true parentage then… Then it hits her. However, that was impossible, but what if it isn't? She felt a huge ball of steel forming in her stomach and her body turning cold.

"Lyanna's…" she whispered, slowly, tears coming to her eyes.

Her husband only nodded, before serving himself yet another cup.

Catelyn rose from her sit, and ran from the room.

Days have passed since, Ned hasn't reached out to her, and she welcomed his absence. They barely met during meals time, and they barely talked.

It was Jon who troubled her, she tried to avoid him as much as she can, and the rare times when she met him, be it during a meal or in the corridors of the castle, she quickened her pace, doing her best to avoid looking at him.

She tried to busy herself by tending to her pregnancy, looking for the needs of the castle, or even joining Sansa during her sewing lessons. But, no matter what she did, her mind was always on Ned, and his ba… No, his nephew.

The Harvest feast was close, two weeks away, and lords from all across the North were arriving, and even more. Ned invited men from the Riverlands, and the Vale, and has even extended and an invitation to the Tyrells, not that she believed they would come. It was said that the Lord Mace was very prejudiced against the North, moreover, that he wasn't the true ruler of the Reach, but that is was his Mother, lady Ollena, who pulled the strings, and the "Queen's of Thornes" ambition was matched only by her sharp tongue, that got her that infamous nickname.

She was pulled out from her though by the arrival of a handmaid.

"What is it?"..she asked.

"My lady… a representative of the Reach have arrived, Ser Garlan Tyrell is seeking an audience with the whole family."


	3. Chapter 3

**Olena**

The sun was bright today, as it was usually the case in the Reach in this long summer. The days were long, the nights short… and her son was as much of an oaf as her late husband. The idiot was really dreaming of making his daughter queen… to King Robert nonetheless.

Oh she tried to make him understand that Robert was married, and not to anyone… to the daughter of Tywin Lannister! But Mace didn't listen, saying that their marriage wasn't a happy one, and that Cersei will be put aside sooner or later.

Margeary, her granddaughter, of course knew of the plan, and didn't complain in front of her father, but Olena had knowledge of Margeary's thoughts, and she knew that the girl was simply disgusted by the idea. Her Granddaughter was a brave young girl of eleven, knew her courtesies well, as much as she was aware of the reality of the outside world.

 _"_ _Fool"_ she thought. At least, Mace's children were way less stupid than their father, Willas and Garlan were the true prides of the Reach and House Tyrell, and she was definitely convinced that the boys would be better rulers than many of the previous Lords.

Since his injury, it was hard to find a suitable wife for Willas, and she was very aware of the possibility that the boy might never get married, which made Garlan his heir. If she didn't knew better, she would've thought that Oberyn Martell injured her grandson on purpose during that joust, but the friendship between the two was legendary, and she knew that the real person to blame was her own son, Mace, who insisted on Willas to take part in that stupid joust.

If he only spent more time with his children, he would have been aware that Willas was not a warrior, he was a reader, a thinker, a planner, but a warrior he was not. This trait was Garlan's, the boy was only seventeen years old, but he was already said to be the best warrior in the Reach after Rendyll Tarly.

She smiled at the thoughts of her oldest grandkids, but her mind went to Loras, the last son of Mace. The young boy was showing the same idiocy as his father, and his friendship with the Lord Renly was, unhealthy, to say the least.

She was pushed back to reality by the arrival of one of her handmaidens.

"My Lady, a man wants to see you, he's from the North".

"So he can go to see my oaf of a son, after all, he is the Lord Paramount of the Reach".

"He says he haves a letter for you, from Lord Stark".

Oh, that actually picked her interest; the "calm Wolf" as they called him seemed to take interest in the affairs of the South? She wondered what it could be about.

"Very well, show him to my private guest room, Left and Right, help me up, let see what the Wolf wants from the Rose".

She found a middle-weighted, bearded man, wearing Stark's colors, a letter in his hands.

" My lady, I am Jory Cassel from…"

"Yes, yes, you are the personal messenger of Lord Stark, it pretty clear, but why did you ask to see me? As far as I know, I am not the ruler of the Reach, Gods know that if it was the case many things would be different!"

From the way the man looked at her, she knew he was baffled from the way she talked; shock, surprise and even indignation were written on his face. She loved it, until… the man smiled, and let a small laugh escape from his lips.

"My lord told me to find the true ruler of the Reach, and give him this letter, I guess I found her, my Lady", he said, the small smile still on his lips.

Now it was her turn to be surprised, so, the Stark wasn't as blinded by his honor and values as it seemed, but why would he send an emissary that would baffle her son's authority in such a way? But then she noticed something in Cassel's eyes… as if they were daring her, testing her.

"Talking this way about the rightful ruler of the Reach could be seen as an insult, wars were started for less."

"And yet, here I stand, and you haven't ordered your men to arrest me yet, that would have the normal procedure, my Lady".

"Yes, it would, but you find me more interested in what your Lord says, than what my oaf of a son may think of doing."

The man smiled: "well, here it is, my lady", he said, giving her the letter.

Olena took the paper and read the words, and once she was finished, she couldn't help a smile forming on her face. She read the letter twice, thrice, and her smile grew further.

She called in her servants, and asked them to give "Ser" Cassel a good room for him to rest, and to see that all of his needs are satisfied.

Once he left, she said to no one in particular:

"Well, it seems that the quiet wolf… is not so quiet after all".


End file.
